In Euractiv, Epicenter’s research fellow Christian Năsuela sharply criticised the European Commission’s record €1.8tn Multiannual Financial Framework proposal, arguing that the next EU budget should be capped at €1.54tn. The piece highlights the network’s Alternative EU Budget initiative, which calls for deep cuts to inefficient programmes, rejects new own resources that fail basic coherence tests, and urges a shift toward genuine competitiveness-enhancing priorities instead of ever-expanding spending.